Five DIY Home-Improvement Hacks for Single Parent Working Moms
A practical guide for the woman who runs the household, holds down the job, raises the children — and would rather not pay someone R800 for a ten-minute job.
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I make my living doing this work. So you may reasonably ask why I would write a piece teaching you to do it yourself.
The answer is simple. I would rather you trust me with the big things than resent me for the small ones.
Because here is what I have seen, over and over, in homes across Johannesburg. A single mother — working full days, raising children, carrying every decision alone — calls a handyman for a job she could have completed in twenty minutes. Not because she lacks the ability. Because no one ever showed her. And because the fear of getting it wrong feels more expensive than the cost of a call-out.
I understand that fear. It is the same fear I had as a young man, contemplating putting up a guardhouse at my sister's smallholding, but unable to work out how a spirit level was supposed to help me build straight. I had no idea what I was doing. I nearly swore off building for life.
So this is not a piece written by someone who was born handy. It is written by someone who had to learn, slowly, the way most of us do — by getting it wrong first, and then getting it right.
These five hacks will not turn you into a contractor. They will do something more useful: they will remove five call-out fees from your life, and they will give you a level of quiet confidence in your own home that nobody can take from you.
You will still need a professional for the big things — anything involving gas, the main electrical supply, major plumbing, or structural work. But the small things? Those are yours.
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What's Inside
- Hack 1: How to Apply Silicone Like a Professional — the masking tape trick
- Hack 2: Filling and Painting Wall Cracks — the whole-wall approach
- Hack 3: Fixing a Dripping Tap — the washer and cartridge fix
- Hack 4: Resetting a Tripped Earth Leakage — the "green MCB" problem
- Hack 5: Adjusting a Sagging Cabinet Door — the hinge adjustment
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Hack 1: How to Apply Silicone Like a Professional
Why this matters
If you have a bath, a shower, a kitchen sink, or a basin, you have silicone. It is the flexible seal that runs along the join between the surface and the wall, and it exists for one reason: to stop water getting behind your fixtures and into your walls.
When that seal degrades — it goes black with mould, it peels away, it cracks — water gets where it should not go. And water behind a wall is the beginning of a costly structural problem.
The plaster swells and blows. Mould takes hold in the damp behind the tiles, spreading its grey-black stain across the grout lines until the only cure is to strip the wall back to the brick. Efflorescence — that white, powdery salt bloom — creeps across the plaster and reappears no matter how many times you scrub it. The paint blisters and peels. The skirting boards, usually MDF or pine, swell and bow away from the wall. And in a flat or townhouse, the water does not stay in your unit. It finds its way through the concrete slab into the ceiling below, and the first you hear of it is your neighbour at the door with a photograph.
What began as a R150 tube of silicone becomes a repair measured in tens of thousands of rand — and sometimes in a conversation with the body corporate that no homeowner wants to have.
A plumber or handyman will charge you between R600 and R1,200 to re-silicone a bath or a set of basins. The materials cost under R150. And the job, once you know the trick, takes under half an hour.
The trick is masking tape.
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What you will need
· A silicone gun (caulking gun) — from Builders Warehouse, Buco, or Cashbuild. Roughly R80 to R150
· One cartridge of anti-mould sanitary silicone — about R80 to R120. See the important note below.
· A roll of masking tape — ordinary painter's tape is fine
· A bottle of methylated spirits — this is the secret ingredient
· A clean cotton rag, cut into a few folded squares — for the final pass on your finger
· Toilet paper — for the first wipe. Cheap, plentiful, and always within arm's reach
· A Stanley knife or utility knife — with a brand-new, unused blade if possible
· A silicone scraper — or a plastic scraper, or an old blunt knife
· A pair of rubber gloves
Total cost, if you own nothing: around R300. That kit will do every bath, basin, and sink in your house, twice over.
One important word of caution, though: silicone does not keep indefinitely. Once you have opened a cartridge and used only part of it, the remaining silicone will begin to cure inside the tube. Left for weeks on end, it will eventually solidify entirely and become unusable. So if you buy a cartridge for one bath, plan to do every other bath, basin, and sink in the house in the same session — or accept that you will be buying a fresh cartridge next time.
Do it all in one morning. It is the same amount of learning, and it saves you the second purchase.
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An important note before you go to the store
Ask for silicone. Not acrylic glue.
In South Africa, store staff very often use the words "silicone" and "acrylic glue" interchangeably — even though they are entirely different products. Acrylic glue is water-based, paintable, and used for filling gaps around skirting, window frames, and cornices. Silicone is a rubber-based sealant, waterproof, flexible, and used specifically for wet areas.
If you ask for "sealant" or "glue," you may walk out with the wrong product. Ask for sanitary silicone — and if the staff member reaches for a tube marked "acrylic," ask them to check again.
I had exactly this happen while dealing with Eastrand Boards recently. It is common, it is not malicious, and it is easy to prevent — you just have to be specific.
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Step 1: Remove the old silicone completely
This is the step that is usually not done well or partly skipped, and it is the reason silicone fails within a year.
Old silicone must go. All of it. Use your scraper and your knife to work along the join, lifting and pulling the old bead away. Be patient. Get into the corners. If a stubborn section will not shift, wet it with methylated spirits to soften it.
Do not be tempted to silicone over the old bead. Silicone does not stick to silicone. Any new seal applied on top of old will peel away within months.
A useful tip for stubborn residue: a brand-new utility knife blade — completely unused — can be very helpful in skilled hands to remove a thin film of old stubborn silicone. It can lift such films without leaving so much as a scratch on the surface beneath. But if you are not comfortable with this method, please do not use it. Your scraper will do the job, just more slowly.
Tip: Keep a bin bag beside you and drop the old silicone in as you go. It is messy work.
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If the residue won't shift: silicone remover
Mechanical removal alone rarely gets every trace of the old seal. A microscopic film of silicone remains on the tiles or the bath edge, and that film is enough to prevent the new silicone from bonding properly.
This is where silicone remover earns its place. It is a specialised solvent or paste designed to soften and dissolve cured silicone, and it is widely available in South Africa.
What to look for locally:
· Bostik Silicone Stripper — a paste formulated to remove fresh or old silicone. Suitable for sanitary ware, glass, metal, enamel, concrete, plaster, and some plastics. Around R79
· Soudal Silicone Remover — a specialised liquid designed to soften and remove cured silicone without damaging the substrate. Around R164
· GlueDevil Strip-it Silicone Remover — a smaller 90ml format that also includes a mould remover. Around R89
· General sealant remover spray — a fast-working 400ml spray for cured silicone and hybrid polymers. Around R180
How to use it:
1. Cut away as much of the old silicone as you physically can with your scraper and knife. The remover is not a substitute for mechanical removal — it is a follow-up step.
2. Apply the remover to the remaining residue, following the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Leave it to work. This varies by product — some act in as little as 10 to 15 minutes, while others may need one to two hours, or even longer for stubborn, thick layers.
4. Scrape away the softened silicone with your knife or scraper.
5. Clean the surface with soap and water, then dry it completely before applying the new silicone.
A few important cautions:
· Test on a small, hidden area first. Some removers can damage certain plastics, painted surfaces, or natural stone.
· Work in a well-ventilated space. These are solvent-based products with fumes. Open a window and turn on the extractor fan.
· Wear gloves. They are solvents, and they will strip the oils from your skin.
· Store them safely. These products are flammable. Keep them away from heat and out of reach of children.
· Do not use alcohol to clean surfaces before applying new silicone. Alcohol inhibits the curing process. Methylated spirits is fine for cleaning during removal — but the surface must be completely dry before the new silicone goes down.
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Step 2: Clean the surfaces properly
Once the old seal is out, wipe down both surfaces — the bath edge and the wall — with a rag dampened in methylated spirits.
This does two things. It removes the residue the old silicone left behind. And it removes any grease, soap scum, or body oils, which are the silent enemies of adhesion.
Do not use soapy water for this. Soap leaves a film. Methylated spirits evaporates clean.
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Step 3: Let it dry completely
This is not optional. Silicone will not bond to a damp surface, and a bathroom is a damp place.
Wipe everything dry, then leave it for at least an hour. If you can leave it overnight, even better. Turn on the extractor fan or open a window to help.
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Step 4: Apply the masking tape — this is the trick
Now we come to the part that separates a professional finish from a messy one.
Take your masking tape and run one strip along the wall, parallel to the join, leaving about 5mm of bare wall visible above the joint. Then run a second strip along the bath or basin edge, leaving about 5mm of bare surface visible below the joint.
You are creating a channel. A clean corridor, with tape on both sides, into which the silicone will go.
The tape does three things:
1. It protects the surfaces you do not want silicone on
2. It gives you a physical guide to follow, so your bead stays straight
3. It lets you press and smooth the silicone as hard as you like, without worrying about smearing it across the tiles
Press the tape down firmly. Run your fingernail along the inner edge to seal it. Any gap under the tape and silicone will creep beneath it.
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Step 5: Cut the nozzle correctly
Take your Stanley knife and cut the tip off the silicone nozzle — but cut it at a 45-degree angle, not straight across. You will also need to cut the tip of the cartridge itself to open it, then screw the nozzle firmly into place.
The angled cut is what allows you to lay a smooth, even bead while keeping the nozzle flat against the joint. The size of the opening should roughly match the width of the gap you are filling. Start smaller than you think you need. You can always cut more off. You cannot put it back.
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Step 6: Load the gun
Drop the cartridge into the gun, with the plunger rod pulled back. Screw the nozzle into place if you have not already done so.
Squeeze the trigger a few times until silicone appears at the tip. Do this over a bin — the first squeeze often releases a small air pocket before the silicone arrives.
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Step 7: Lay the bead — push, do not pull
Here is the second trick most people do not know.
Rest the nozzle against the joint and squeeze steadily. But push the gun away from you, rather than pulling it toward you.
When you pull, the silicone is dragged along behind the nozzle, and it sits on the surface without being forced into the gap. When you push, the nozzle drives the silicone ahead of it, forcing it into the joint where it needs to be.
Move at a steady, even pace — but do not linger. In South African conditions, particularly in summer or in a bathroom without good cross-ventilation, the silicone will begin to skin over in under five minutes. So work in short runs of about 600mm to 800mm at a time, laying the bead and smoothing it immediately before moving on.
One continuous run within each section. No stopping and starting mid-run, or you will create lumps.
Do not worry about how it looks at this stage. The tape is protecting everything, and the smoothing comes next.
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Step 8: Smooth the bead
Dip your finger in methylated spirits — just your finger, not a tool — and run it along the bead in one smooth movement, pressing the silicone gently into the joint and against both taped edges.
The methylated spirits stops the silicone sticking to your finger, which is what causes that dragged, stringy mess most people end up with.
For cleaning your finger between passes: start with toilet paper. It is cheap, it is right there, and you can be generous with it. Use it to lift the bulk of the silicone off your finger and throw it away. Then finish with a clean cotton rag square for the final pass — because toilet paper disintegrates when it meets methylated spirits and wet silicone, and you will end up picking paper fibres out of your fresh bead. One rag square per smoothing run is enough.
Work quickly. You have less than five minutes before the silicone begins to skin over. Work in sections of roughly 600mm to 800mm, smoothing each section immediately after laying it, then move on to the next.
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Step 9: Remove the masking tape immediately
This is the moment of satisfaction.
While the silicone is still wet, take the end of the tape and pull it away at a 45-degree angle, away from the joint — not straight up.
If you pull straight up, you will lift the edge of the silicone with it. Pulling at an angle slices the tape away cleanly and leaves a perfectly straight, perfectly neat edge.
Do this on both sides. Then step back and look at what you have done.
It will look like a professional did it. Because a professional did the exact same thing.
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Step 10: Leave it alone
Do not touch it. Do not clean it. Do not let anyone use that bath or shower for at least 24 hours.
Silicone cures from the outside in. It may feel dry to the touch within an hour, but it is not set. Water exposure during the curing period is the single most common cause of a seal failing early.
After 24 hours, you are done. And that seal will last you five to ten years.
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The mindset shift
You have just done something that a handyman would have charged you R800 for.
You did it in half an hour, for R150 of materials, using a roll of masking tape and a bottle of methylated spirits.
Nothing about it required strength. Nothing about it required a qualification. It required a method, and now you have it.
That is the whole point of this guide. Not the silicone. The method.
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Hack 2: Filling and Painting Wall Cracks
Why this matters
Walls crack. It is not a sign that your house is falling down — it is a sign that it is settling, drying out, or simply ageing. Hairline cracks appear at the joins between plasterboard sheets, along the line where wall meets ceiling, and around door and window frames.
But here is the thing most homeowners do not realise: you cannot fix a crack in isolation. Cracks cluster. If they have appeared around one window, they are probably appearing around the doors and other windows too. And the moment you fill a crack, you are committed to painting — because a filled crack, however neatly done, will never blend invisibly into an old wall.
This is why a handyman called to fill and paint a few cracks will typically charge a couple of thousand rand. What they are actually quoting for is a painting job — because that is what the work becomes.
Paint matching is not a fine science. Paint fades. It changes with light and with age. Even paint from the same tin, applied years later, will not match perfectly. And in South African homes that have been painted and repainted over decades, the colour on the wall is often not the colour on the tin that produced it.
So the honest advice is this: when you fill cracks, plan to paint the whole wall. Not the patch. The wall. That is the minimum unit of work that will look right when you are done. In some cases — where the wall meets a corner, or where the colour is particularly hard to match — the honest answer is that you paint the whole room.
Which is why a handyman quotes what he quotes. And which is why doing it yourself saves you so much: it is the labour that costs, not the materials.
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What you will need
· A tub or tube of Polyfilla — the ready-mixed tub is easiest for beginners
· A putty knife or filling knife — about 50mm wide
· A sanding block or fine sandpaper (120 to 180 grit)
· An N95 dust mask — sanding plaster dust is fine, and it gets everywhere. A simple mask keeps it out of your lungs
· A full tin of matched paint — take a chip of your existing paint colour to the hardware store to have it mixed. A small tin will not be enough once you commit to painting a wall
· A roller and tray — for the bulk of the wall
· A paintbrush — for cutting in at the edges and corners
· Masking tape — to protect skirting, window frames, and door frames
· Drop sheets or old newspaper — to protect the floor and furniture
· A damp cloth
Total cost: a few hundred rand, depending on the size of the wall and the quality of the paint. Still a fraction of what a handyman would charge, because you are supplying the labour yourself.
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Step 1: Prepare the cracks
Run your putty knife along each crack to remove any loose paint or crumbling plaster. You want a clean, sound surface for the filler to grip.
If the crack is deep, widen it slightly with the corner of your knife. This sounds counterintuitive, but a wider, shallower crack holds filler better than a narrow, deep one.
Wipe away the dust with a damp cloth.
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Step 2: Apply the filler
Take a small amount of Polyfilla on your knife and press it firmly into the crack, working across it rather than along it. You want the filler to go into the crack, not just sit on top of it.
Then, holding the knife at a shallow angle, draw it back across the filled area to scrape off the excess. You are aiming for a surface that is flush with the wall, not a raised lump.
For larger holes, apply the filler in two thin layers rather than one thick one. Let the first layer dry before applying the second.
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Step 3: Let it dry and sand it smooth
Polyfilla dries in about 30 minutes for thin fills, longer for deeper ones. Once it is dry to the touch and slightly lighter in colour, it is ready to sand.
Wrap your sandpaper around a sanding block — or use the block on its own — and sand the filled area in gentle, circular motions. You are not trying to remove the filler, only to smooth it flush with the surrounding wall.
Put on your N95 mask before you start sanding. Plaster dust is fine enough to hang in the air for hours, and it will find its way into your lungs if you let it.
Run your hand across the surface. If you can feel a ridge or a dip, sand a little more.
Wipe away the sanding dust with a damp cloth.
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Step 4: Prepare the wall for painting
This is the step most DIY painters skip, and it is the difference between a finish that looks professional and one that looks patched.
Mask off the skirting boards, window frames, door frames, and anything else you do not want painted. Lay drop sheets across the floor and over nearby furniture. Take your time with the masking — it is tedious, but it is what allows you to paint confidently and quickly once you start.
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Step 5: Paint the whole wall
Start by cutting in — using your brush to paint a neat band along the edges, corners, and around any fittings. Take your time with this, because the cut-in line is what will be most visible when the wall is finished.
Then, using your roller, paint the rest of the wall in a series of overlapping "W" or "M" strokes. Work from the top down, in sections of about a square metre at a time, maintaining a wet edge as you go.
Two coats are almost always necessary. Let the first coat dry according to the tin's instructions before applying the second.
Why the whole wall? Because a patch — even a perfectly matched patch — will show. The light catches it differently. The texture is slightly different. And within a few months, as the paint cures and settles, the difference becomes more visible, not less. Painting the whole wall is not overkill. It is the only way the repair will look right.
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When to stop and call someone
If you are looking at a wide, diagonal crack that runs from a corner across the wall, or a crack that reappears within weeks of being filled, stop. That is not a cosmetic issue. That is a sign of structural movement — subsidence, a failing foundation, or a problem with the roof structure — and it needs professional assessment.
Cosmetic cracks are a nuisance. Structural cracks are a warning.
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Hack 3: Fixing a Dripping Tap
Why this matters
A dripping tap is not just annoying. It is expensive.
South Africa is, for the most part, a semi-arid land. Rainfall is uneven, reservoirs run low, and municipalities impose restrictions during dry seasons. In that context, a water leak is not merely an inconvenience or a waste of money. It is a squandering of something scarce, in a country where millions of people still queue for water.
Depending on the severity of the drip, a leaking tap can waste anywhere between 3,000 and 11,000 litres of water in a year. In a country like ours, that is not just a matter of money. It is a matter of conscience.
And then there is the cost of having it fixed. Here is what tap repair and replacement actually costs in South Africa:
Service Typical Range
Basic leak or washer replacement R300 – R800
Dripping tap repair R400 – R1,200
Mixer tap repair R800 – R2,000
Outdoor garden tap repair R600 – R1,500
Full tap replacement, including labour and the new fixture R800 – R3,500
Labour only, if you supply the tap R600 – R1,500
Parts are extra, and separate:
· Washers or O-rings: R50 – R300
· Mixer cartridges: R90 – R250
And if you call someone out in an emergency, expect the total to run 25% to 50% higher than standard rates — because emergency call-out fees alone run R500 to R1,000, on top of hourly labour of R350 to R850.
So the arithmetic is simple. You are paying for the labour, the call-out, and the expertise — not for the materials. The parts cost a fraction of the bill. And the job itself, once you know what you are doing, takes twenty minutes.
That is what this hack is for.
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What you will need
· An adjustable spanner or a set of spanners — available from Builders Warehouse, Buco, or Cashbuild, but also from larger hyper retail stores such as Checkers, and from the small family hardware shops that dot most South African suburbs and townships
· A screwdriver — flat-head and Phillips
· Replacement washers or a ceramic cartridge — take the old one to the hardware store to match it
· A cloth
· A small container — to catch the water that will inevitably drip out
· Plumber's tape (PTFE tape) — a roll can cost as little as R5
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Step 1: Turn off the water — this is not optional
Before you touch anything, close the angle valve on the pipe leading to that tap. In common South African parlance, this is what we call the isolation valve, and it is usually located inside the cabinet — under the sink, inside the vanity, or wherever the tap is mounted, on the supply pipe beneath the countertop.
If there is no angle valve, close the main water supply to the house.
Then open the tap fully to drain any water left in the pipe.
It is critical not to forget this step, because failure to drain the water first can cause minor flooding inside the cabinet unit — and water sitting inside a melamine carcass is exactly how boards begin to swell.
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Step 2: Dismantle the tap
Tap handles vary, but most follow one of two patterns.
For a traditional tap: Prise off the decorative cap on top of the handle — it usually pops off with a flat screwdriver — and remove the screw underneath. Pull the handle upward to expose the valve body beneath. Use your spanner to unscrew the valve body from the tap base.
For a modern mixer tap: Remove the small coloured cap on the handle (red for hot, blue for cold) and the screw beneath. Lift the handle off. You will see the ceramic cartridge inside. It is held in place by a retaining nut or a metal clip.
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Step 3: Inspect the parts
Once the valve body or cartridge is out, look at it carefully.
If you see a rubber washer — flat, round, usually black — and it looks worn, cracked, or flattened, that is your problem. Replace it.
If you see a ceramic cartridge — a cylindrical unit with two ceramic discs inside — and it looks scratched, chipped, or stiff, that is your problem. Replace it.
Take the old part to the hardware store. They will match it. There are dozens of shapes and sizes, and taking the old one with you is the only reliable way to get the right replacement — this is especially true of ceramic cartridges, where even slight differences in diameter or depth will prevent proper seating.
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Step 4: Reassemble — and follow what you found
Here is the part where most DIY guides get it wrong, and where most amateur repairs begin to leak.
Do not automatically reach for the plumber's tape.
Worn tap washers and water mixer cartridges typically do not require PTFE. There is almost always a main washer sitting just under the retaining nut that closes the unit, and that washer is what does the sealing. Adding PTFE unnecessarily will most likely cause a leak, because it prevents the unit from seating properly.
So the governing principle is this: handle the job in line with what you discovered when you opened the unit. If there was PTFE in there, use PTFE. If there was a washer, use a washer.
And if you do use PTFE, know that it requires more turns than most people think. Wrap it clockwise around the threaded section — four to five turns is typical, not the two or three most guides suggest.
Screw the valve body or retaining nut back into the tap. Tighten it firmly, but do not overtighten. Ceramic cartridges crack if you force them.
Reattach the handle and the screw, and press the decorative cap back into place.
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Step 5: Test
Turn the water supply back on slowly. Open the tap and let it run for a few seconds. Then close it.
If it drips, turn the water off again and check that the new washer or cartridge is seated correctly.
In water mixers, leaks are usually caused by the cartridge not seating well. The fix is straightforward: open the housing once again, make sure the cartridge is correctly placed, refit the washer, and screw the retaining nut back into place.
If it still drips after that, the tap body itself may be worn — and at that point, replacing the whole tap is the sensible option.
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When to stop and call someone
If the angle valve is seized and will not close, if the pipework beneath the basin is corroded or leaking, or if the tap body itself is cracked — stop. These are jobs that can turn a small repair into a flooded bathroom very quickly.
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One last thing — the emergency premium
Remember that 25% to 50% premium on emergency work. A dripping tap left alone does not stay a dripping tap. Eventually it becomes a burst pipe, a flooded cabinet, or a Saturday night call-out at emergency rates.
The small repair you do this weekend is the expensive repair you never have to pay for. That is not just thrift. It is wisdom.
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Hack 4: Resetting a Tripped Earth Leakage
Why this matters
The power goes off. It is not load-shedding. You go to the DB board — the distribution board — and one of the switches has tripped. It is the one most South Africans call "the green MCB."
This is the most common electrical call-out in South Africa. And nine times out of ten, you can fix it yourself in under five minutes.
I know this because it is one of the most common jobs my own business receives. Hardly a day passes without someone calling about a tripping DB board.
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What you will need
· Nothing but your hands and a little patience.
· A torch — in case the tripped circuit affects your lighting
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Step 1: Find the DB board, and identify the earth leakage
The DB board is usually in the passage, the garage, or a utility cupboard. But in some townhouses and apartments, it can also be located inside a kitchen unit — a pantry, or a wall unit.
Open the cover. Look for the switch sitting in the "down" position while the others are "up."
Now — which one is the earth leakage?
Many South Africans call it the green MCB, and there is a real reason for that. The earth leakage unit is manufactured locally by CBI-electric, a South African company that has dominated the residential low-voltage market for decades. And CBI made a deliberate choice: they gave the operating toggle on their earth leakage units a bright green handle, while the standard circuit breakers — the ones protecting lights, plugs, and the geyser — kept the conventional black or white toggle.
That colour choice was not decorative. It was a safety decision.
An earth leakage unit protects people. It detects the tiny imbalance in current that occurs when electricity is leaking to earth — through a faulty appliance, a damaged cable, or, worst case, a human body — and it cuts the power before anyone is electrocuted. A standard MCB does something different. It protects the wiring, tripping when a circuit is overloaded or short-circuited. It will not save your life.
So the green handle exists to separate the switch that protects people from the switches that protect the wiring. And because CBI's units became the standard in South African homes, the colour became the name. Even on boards fitted with other brands, South Africans still call it the green MCB.
One important caveat: if your earth leakage unit is not a CBI, the handle may not be green. Fortunately, colour is not the only way to find it. The earth leakage unit is usually easy to identify by three other features:
· Its position — it sits second from the left, immediately to the right of the main switch
· Its rating — it is almost always 63A, higher than the individual circuit breakers beside it
· Its test button — a white button marked "T" or "test," which the circuit MCBs do not have
Any one of these will point you to the right unit. Together, they make it unmistakable.
And here is what you will see when you find it: when a power trip has occurred, the earth leakage unit will not be sitting fully down. It will be in the trip position — halfway down, between on and off. That halfway position is the tell-tale sign. It is how you know, at a glance, that the earth leakage has tripped rather than simply being switched off.
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Step 2: Push the earth leakage fully down, then the circuits
This is the diagnostic method, and it is different from what most guides tell you.
Do not start by unplugging appliances. Start at the board.
First, push the earth leakage unit — the green MCB — all the way down to the bottom. It is currently halfway down; push it firmly until it clicks into the full "off" position.
Then do the same with all the circuit MCBs. Drop every one of them down, so that the entire board is off and you are starting from a clean slate.
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| The green MCB — halfway down means tripped. Push it fully down, then start the diagnosis. |
Step 3: Raise the green MCB first, then the circuits one at a time
Now raise the earth leakage — the green MCB — back up first.
Then raise the circuit MCBs, one at a time.
When you raise the faulty circuit's MCB, the green MCB will trip again immediately — and it will return to that halfway-down trip position. That is your diagnosis: the circuit on that MCB is the faulty one.
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Step 4: Isolate the faulty circuit
Leave that MCB down.
Then unplug every appliance on that circuit. Do not just switch things off at the wall — physically unplug them. A faulty appliance can still trip the earth leakage even when switched off.
Pay particular attention to:
· Kettles and urns
· Toasters and microwaves
· Washing machines and dishwashers
· Fridges and freezers
· Pool pumps
· Any appliance with water involved
Water and electricity are the pairing that trips earth leakage most often.
Now raise that MCB once more. If it holds, the fault was in one of the appliances — and you can begin plugging them back in one at a time to find the culprit. If it trips again with nothing plugged in, the fault is in the wiring itself.
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When to stop and call someone
If the switch trips immediately after resetting, with nothing plugged in — stop. That means the fault is in the wiring, not in an appliance. That is an electrician's job.
Also stop if:
· You see scorch marks, smell burning, or notice any discolouration around the DB board
· The switch feels hot to the touch
· The earth leakage switch itself is old or damaged
· It trips repeatedly for no apparent reason
And remember: any electrical work you do yourself should be limited to resetting switches. Everything else is a registered electrician's job, and it must be issued with a Certificate of Compliance — a COC — when the work is done, in line with SANS 10142-1.
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Hack 5: Adjusting a Sagging Cabinet Door
Why this matters
A kitchen cupboard door that has dropped, or that will not close properly, or that has a gap down one side, is one of the most irritating things in a home. It catches your eye every time you walk into the kitchen.
Most people assume the door needs replacing. It almost never does. In nine cases out of ten, it just needs adjusting — using the screws already built into the hinge.
This one comes straight from my own trade. Adjusting cabinet doors is the kind of work that would normally be quoted somewhere between R350 and R1,500 — depending on how many doors need attention and how far out of alignment they are. And in most of the South African market, that quote would also include a call-out fee before the work even starts.
It is work you can do yourself with nothing but a Phillips screwdriver and a little patience.
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What you will need
· A Phillips screwdriver — the right size for your hinge screws
· A small spirit level — optional, but helpful
· Patience
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Step 1: Understand the hinge
Modern cabinet hinges — usually made by Blum, Hettich, or Grass — have three adjustment screws. Once you know what each one does, everything else is easy.
The mounting screw — the one holding the hinge plate to the cabinet side. This is not for adjustment. Do not touch it unless you are removing the door.
The side adjustment screw — usually on the hinge arm, close to the door. Turning this moves the door left or right, closing or opening the gap between the door and the cabinet frame.
The depth adjustment screw — often on the hinge plate at the back. Turning this moves the door toward or away from the cabinet — useful if the door is sitting proud or pressed in too far.
The height adjustment screw — some hinges have this, some do not. It moves the door up or down, fixing a door that has dropped on one corner.
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Step 2: Identify the problem
Look at the door and decide what is actually wrong.
· Gap down one side: side adjustment
· Door sitting proud of the frame: depth adjustment
· Door dropped on one corner: height adjustment, if available
· Door catching at the top or bottom: height or depth adjustment
Sometimes two problems overlap, and you will need to adjust two screws. Make one adjustment at a time, then close the door and check.
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Step 3: Make small adjustments
Turn the adjustment screws a quarter-turn at a time, then close the door and check.
Do not turn them more than half a turn at once. Small movements make big differences, and overtightening can strip the thread inside the hinge.
Work slowly. It is a job that rewards patience.
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Step 4: Check both hinges
Cupboard doors hang on two hinges — sometimes three for tall doors. If you adjust only one, the door will twist.
Adjust the top hinge first, then check the door. If it is still not right, adjust the bottom hinge to match.
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When to stop and call someone
If the screws turn freely without resistance, the thread is stripped. The hinge will need to be replaced.
If the cabinet side panel is damaged — swollen from moisture, or crumbling — the hinge has nothing solid to attach to. That is a bigger repair, and it may mean replacing the panel.
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What You Have Just Learned
Look at what you have just read.
You know how to seal a bath like a professional. You know how to fill and paint a wall crack so nobody can see it. You know how to fix a dripping tap. You know what to do when the green MCB trips. And you know how to adjust a cupboard door using nothing but a screwdriver.
None of it required a qualification. None of it required strength. None of it required a man.
It required a method — and now you have five of them.
I want you to notice something. Not one of these hacks was difficult. They were simply unfamiliar. And unfamiliar is not the same as difficult. Unfamiliar is what everything is before you learn it.
Twenty years ago, I stood in front of a wall with a spirit level in my hand and no idea what to do next. Today, I build kitchens and hospital wards. The difference between those two versions of me was not talent. It was the willingness to try, to get it wrong, and to try again.
You do not need to be a contractor to care for your home. You need a spirit of curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the confidence that comes from doing a thing once.
Start with the silicone. It is the one that will give you the most satisfaction, and the one that will convince you that you can do the rest.
And remember — I am still here for the big things. When the job is beyond what you want to tackle, that is not failure. That is wisdom. But when it is within reach, it is yours.
Your home. Your hands. Your confidence.
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For the jobs that need a professional — kitchen design and installation, bathroom makeovers, built-in cabinets, damp proofing, and general renovations — I am always a call away.
📞 Call, SMS, or WhatsApp: 063 888 5573
📧 Email: info.aptdesigns@gmail.com
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